The present embodiments relate to ultrasound transducers. In particular, modular ultrasound transducers are provided.
Matrix or two-dimensional ultrasound transducers require complex electronics to manage the large number of elements and to reduce the resulting signal count to a manageable number. For example, sub-array beamforming partially beamforms data from different sub-apertures together, reducing the number of channels to a number of imaging system beamformer channels.
To limit the number of cables, the partial beamforming circuits are positioned in the ultrasound probe housing. However, the circuits may not be close enough to the elements. The small elements have a high impedance. This high impedance may require ultra-short connections to the electronics in order to maximize sensitivity and dynamic range. Conversely, the size requirements for the partial beamforming circuits may require longer connections.